


The One With the Mailbox

by TaraTyler



Series: Curious Archer Shots [10]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 20:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16541432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraTyler/pseuds/TaraTyler
Summary: Robin Mills has a lot to live up to, as a teenager, that translates to not turning down dares.(AU with Nook and Alice living in Storybrooke when she was a teen)





	The One With the Mailbox

Robin Mills’ friends weren’t people she was actually fond of, but they were necessary for the life she wanted to live at least while she was still in the small town of Storybrooke. Robin really wanted to get out and find the life she was meant to have as an adult. Still, she walked through the main back paths of the woods with two girls of the same age at her back. This was something Robin had instituted as a regular practice amongst her friends. It made her feel closer to her father in some manner, to walk the woods of Storybrooke where he had once walked. and it Out in the woods, she could almost touch some power deep inside she couldn’t quite access. Robin thought it might be her magic but she had no mastery of her gift. 

“Robin, isn’t that where Alice and the other Killian Jones live?” One of the girls asked, coming up to stand at her side as they stood in front of a cabin-style home with a fenced in garden area and a cute little mailbox at the end of the gravel drive. “That girl is so very odd.”

“Sometimes there are very lovely _’odd’_ people. I’m from a family of odd folk, and I love them all. We do owe our lives to the people who came together to raise us, don’t we?” Robin asked whirling on both girls as though they were both at fault for what one had said. She would occasionally go off on them for little to no reason just to keep them in line and under her thumb.

“Can’t argue with that.” The girl who hadn’t spoken replied. They both back away. Robin’s eyes had been known to flash a brighter green if she were legitimately emotional. Robin assumed the girls were reacting to her fiery temper. She shrugged them off.

“I’ve seen Alice around a few times. She seems okay, actually.” Robin said, trying to get them off of the subject and walking again. “She has beautiful hair if you ever get a good look at it. Alice is _really_ pretty.”

“Oh, so you like her?” the first girl asked almost derisively. Homophobia really wasn’t all that rampant in Storybrooke, the sheriff Emma Swan would never have stood for such prejudice, but not everyone was always kind to Robin. Robin had always enjoyed giving Emma a hard time and had even stolen her car once, but she respected Sheriff Savior Swan for her history. Robin gave the girl a death glare.

“A little bit, yeah. From what I know of her. She seems really cool, but I’ve never gotten the opportunity to know her better. Would you have some kind of a problem with that?” Robin asked seriously. “What would you do about it if I did take her out?”

“Uhm, nothing.” her voice wavered. “I wouldn’t give a shit if you licked her mailbox.”

“Do you think I wouldn’t?” Robin’s face widened into a smile. “You know I don’t turn down dares.” Robin’s eyebrows quirked up.

“Then we do dare.” added the other girl who hadn’t been working on Robin’s nerves. They both knew how hard-headed the Wicked Witch’s daughter could be. She was determined to accomplish whatever she set her mind to. Robin’s grin took on a smirk inherited from her mother and aunt, the Evil Queen. She trotted over to the old metal mailbox.

Her head was already bent to the metal box when she heard an old door in need of oiling creak from a bit away. Robin was committed, though. She stuck her tongue out and licked a wide stripe, hoping against hope it was not who she knew it was on that porch. If she looked up and saw Alice staring at her in horror, Robin swore to herself she would learn to turn her friends into frogs, whether her aunt or mother was willing to teach her or not. Alice honestly had been a crush she had harbored for a long while and Robin hated to embarrass herself in front of the girl. 

Eventually, she had to stand up and face the music. Robin turned to look up into the face which had so bewitched her since the first time she had seen Alice Jones. There was nothing good she could possibly say to explain away what she had just done. All Robin could think of to do was to offer Alice her warmest of smiles. Her head quirked to one side and a shoulder lifted in a half-hearted, awkward shrug.

“I have no words.” Robin said, scrunching her nose and blushing furiously. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but at the same time, it felt as though it were up in her throat. “I have no explanation. Call me out as you will.”

“How did it taste?” Alice asked, her smile kind and her blue eyes twinkling. Robin felt like she was being hit in the heart with cupid’s arrow. She felt that way anytime she interacted with this girl. “Metallic, I would assume?”

“Could have tasted better. I would give it a C minus.” Robin replied doing her best to be charming despite her current predicament “Seasoning would be nice going forward. I figure you came out for your mall. I promise your letters have been spared from my tongue.”

Robin took a bold step forward, reached into the mailbox she had licked and carried the small pile of envelopes up to the other young woman. She was relying upon the natural charisma she had picked up from her father to get through this experience. Alice seemed at least okay with some of what was going on, and not too weirded out. She accepted the stack, their hands brushed, and neither of them backed away immediately. Robin desperately hoped Alice was feeling what Robin felt.

“Thank you, I guess.” Alice chuckled with that laugh and a smile that seemed to light her up from the inside. “This is the wrong moment for me to ask you this, so I feel like I need to, have we met before?”

“Briefly, a time or two.” Robin answered. “I’ve meant to get to know you for a while now, but never found the time. You’ve probably seen me around town. You can’t live here without knowing everyone. If you ever wanted to get coffee or something…”

Robin found herself rambling, which never happened. She was Robin Hood and Zelena’s daughter, she was supposed to be more together than this. Now she had asked Alice out much too early in the game and up until now courting had _always_ been a game to Robin Mills. She really didn’t want the blonde to feel at all put upon. Robin could really kick herself.

“I think I would really enjoy that… if it were just the two of us. You know your friends are still watching us, right?” Alice checked in with her, quirking an eye in their direction.

“They are much less my friends and more like lost little ducklings who have imprinted on me as their leader. I’ve never been certain of what to do with them… Wow, I haven’t ever told anyone that before…” Robin admitted. “Your mailbox might be magical.”

Stranger things have been known to happen in this town.” Alice agreed nonchalantly. “Come and pick me up tomorrow at around noon. Leave the ducklings at home. I want to know _you_ , Robin, not the Robin trying to live up to her parents and not the Robin Storybrooke has built.”

“I can make that happen. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Robin promised and took her leave, having to maintain a vice grip on herself to keep herself from doing a happy dance. She had embarrassed herself enough for one day. 

“I really can’t believe you. No one should have been able to come back from that.” one of the voices came from behind Robin as she retook the lead.

“Yes, well, you had better believe it. We’re going out tomorrow. Come on, you can help me pick out what to wear.” Robin kept walking with the grin of the cat that ate the canary.


End file.
